The 13th Hunger Games
by CeruleanCat
Summary: The Thirteenth annual Hunger Games! (Review if you want me to continue! :D )
1. Meet the Tributes-Part 1

The Thirteenth Annual Hunger Games: Meet the Tributes, Part 1

In the districts, the people were all staying in their houses. Most of the time, they would be punished for this, but not today. For today, was reaping day. Peacekeepers patrolled the perimeter of each town square, making sure that no one was trying to escape their chances of getting picked for the so-called glorious Hunger Games. Before you are told the story of the tributes, and if they live or die, I will introduce you to all of the tributes so none of them will be forgotten:

_ Joseph, District One_: In District One, the kids in the reaping pool had nothing to fear; knowing that someone would volunteer, after all, the glory would be enormous and guaranty a house in Victor's Village. There was one boy by the name of Joseph, who had been training for the Hunger Games his whole life. Instead of pictures of cars in his room, he had knifes lining the walls. Joseph is seventeen, and about to volunteer, willingly risking his life.

He hasn't told his family about it, and doesn't plan to. He was never one of those kids who stood out in the academy, so his parents would worry if he told them the truth. His little sister, however, knew him better, and could read his every emotion.

When he went to the kitchen for breakfast, his parents were nowhere in sight, only his eight year old sister, Sylva. Sylva frowned when she saw him, then her eyes widened, "You wouldn't," she said, her eyes filling with tears, "You promised…" She ran to Joseph and hugged him, crying now, "I know that look in your eyes! You are going to volunteer! Please! Don't!" Joseph stroked her blond hair, trying to calm her down and then said, "Silva, I know what I'm getting into, **I'm going to win, I promise… **Now go join Mom and Dad, and I'll see you in the JusticeBuilding to say good-bye." Joseph said, smiling sadly.

_Sydney, District One_: There was a pretty, seventeen year old girl sitting in her room, brushing her long, blond tresses. She was humming a song, admiring her reflection in her mirror, just like any teenage girl. Except this girl, Sydney, was trained to kill. Sydney smoothed down the folds of her dress, and then walked downstairs to spend some of her last time with her friends. There was only an hour until the reaping, and Sydney had every intention of going to the Hunger Games this year, and walking back out.

Sydney walked out front, loving the feel of grass on her bare feet. She saw her boyfriend, Max, talking to one of his friends, having not noticed Sydney yet. She sprinted forwards, and then shrieked as she playfully tackled him to the ground. He got up, brushed off his slacks, and threw her over his shoulder. He carried her back into her house, and threw her onto a pile of blankets.

Sydney frowned playfully, looking at her hair, "Thanks to you, I'm going to have to redo my hair before I go to the Capitol." Max rolled his eyes, "Seriously? Ugghh… Well, at least I'll get to hang out in Victor's Village when you get back. You _are_ coming back, right?"

"'Course. Don't worry, **I'm going to win, I promise… **You might want to head home and get all that grass off your suit", Sydney said, smirking…

_Tyler, District Two_: Tyler was eating breakfast with his family, knowing very well that it might be his last. Tyler wasn't talking about his grades though, or any other normal things, they were talking about Tyler volunteering for the Hunger Games.

"I've trained well, and you heard the trainer yourself: 'He's strong, he might want to consider volunteering'," Tyler said, trying to convince his parents.

"Tyler." Tyler and his parents turned at the unexpected voice, and saw it was Tyler's brother, twelve year old Karin. "Don't, unless you are positive you can win… Are you? If you aren't, then don't dare. Your voice sounds like mine, and you are only fourteen, so I won't be that far away from you. I _will_ go in your place…" Tyler was about to scold him, but then saw the tears in his eyes. Tyler's face softened, and he went over and kneeled in front of Karin, "**I'm going to win, I promise…**" Tyler tried to smile, but was too scared after Karin's empty threat, because now, he was starting to doubt himself.

_Chloe, District Two_: Chloe was talking with her friends, while they braided flowers into each others hair and fantasized about what the arena would look like this year. Other sixteen year old girls in District Two were obsessed over boys, and trained for the Hunger Games in their spare time, but Chloe had been fascinated over the games since she was a child, in fact, it had taken all of her parents control to convince her not to volunteer at twelve. Now, though, at sixteen, her parents were starting to encourage her, and Chloe was going to volunteer. After all, she was pretty and smart and good at fighting, so the odds were_ very much_ in her favor.

Chloe laughed, thinking about the awesome parties she would have in VictorsVillage when she came back. Her best friend, who was like a sister to her, Sabrina, was braiding a pink flower into her hair, when they heard a faint call, "Report to the town square for the reaping." The five girls stood up, brushing themselves off, and started walking towards the square. When they arrived, Sabrina gave Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek, and said, "See you in a few weeks! I'll spend every penny I get into sponsoring you!" Chloe called back, "**I'm going to win, I promise…"**

_Jasmine, District Three_: Jasmine nervously smoothed down her long, dark black hair, pinning it pack with pins the same silver as her glasses. Her skin seemed even paler when she was nervous, so she was practically a ghost now. Later today, Jasmine would be attending her second annual reaping. Jasmine isn't as nervous as last year, but now has the fear of what happened to last year's tributes. The girl bled out from a wound in her stomach; the boy, well, a mutant leopard got to him. Jasmine shuddered thinking about it. She was nearly shaking, the reaping less than thirty minutes away.

Jasmine's only family was her mother; her father had supposedly been electrocuted to death in the factory he worked in. Jasmine knew she was all her mother had. But, the odds were great for her, after all, she wasn't fat, but she wasn't starving either, and her name was only in the reaping twice. She went over to her mother, and gave her a tight hug, knowing it was for her Mom's sake as much as hers, after all, Jasmine wasn't always an only child. Jasmine had had an older brother, born before she was, and he had been murdered in the First Hunger Games. A few years later Jasmine's father died.

* * * Jasmine was wiping her sweaty hands on her purple dress, nervously awaiting the name of the poor boy and girl who would be called… "Ladies first!" the District Three escort said, she cleared her throat, "The lucky girl is… Jasmine Bissell!" Jasmine heard a woman screaming, most likely her mother, but that was all, because Jasmine's mind was still in the past, when she didn't know how evil the Hunger Games were, when ignorance was bliss… All she could think to do was call out, "**I'm going to win, I promise…"**

_Aaron, District Three_: Aaron had survived five years of reapings; if he made it through this one he would be home free. He was an orphan, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have family. He considered his girlfriend, Cassandra, family, and technically they will be, after all in nine months Aaron will be a father. It was a stupid mistake, but they couldn't change it, so they had accepted it. Aaron was on his way to meet Cassie; after all, it was a full thirty minutes until the reaping. He ducked under a board, turned a corner, and there was Cassandra, her dark hair billowing around her in the summer breeze. She managed to look even the drab clothes of are District look good.

Aaron smiled, kissing her on the cheek, "So, what are we going to do after the reaping?"

She sighed, looking around at all the buildings, "I wish there was a patch of grass here, even a small one, that was outside people's gardens… Maybe we can have a picnic on the roof of the orphanage, and, you know, pretend it's grass…" she said, putting on a shy smile. Cassandra had been an orphan, too, and had learned to make the best of life. One hand briefly touching her abdomen, then clasping hers, so hand-in-hand they walked towards the reaping. * * * Aaron had watched as a girl walked numbly up to the stage, calling back something to a person in the crowd. _Sucks to be her_, he thought, because sometimes it was better to laugh than cry at that poor girl's fate. He had been so immersed in his thoughts, that he almost didn't hear his name being called. Almost. Then he heard Cassandra wail, and it caught up to him. A peacekeeper roughly shoved him forward, and Aaron stumbled to his feet. He blew a kiss in Cassandra's direction, and then joined the girl on stage. Just as he was being pressed inside, he called out, "**I'm going to win,** Cassandra**, I promise…"**


	2. Meet the Tributes-Part 2

_Logan, District Four- _Logan was standing in front of his mother while she did a final once-over, making sure he looked presentable for the reaping. He was wearing an old outfit, but his father had given it to him, so it made it special. His father clasped him on the shoulder, and then said, "I'll see you and you're sister after the reaping, and we'll have a nice dinner with some fresh food I bought." Logan's older sister, eighteen year old Brenda, smiled supportively and gave his hand a squeeze, and they walked together to the town square. * * * Logan stood in shoulder to shoulder with the other twelve year olds, nervously rubbing his hands together. He still had nightmares about last year's Hunger Games, about the poor twelve year old girl who had been ripped to shreds by not a mutant, but a fellow tribute.

_At least my name is only in there once_, he had been thinking, and then he heard his name ring out over the silent kids, "Logan Alvarez," The too cheery escort was smiling over the boys, looking for a volunteer, but when she saw none, she motioned for him to join her and the female tribute on the stage. Brenda ran forwards to him, knocking over a peacekeeper in the process. She hugged him, crying, and managed to get out between sobs, "You-have-to-win! I can't help you much, but I'll put my money into you! No, wait, please!" She shouted as she was dragged away to calm down, after all, she was interrupting the ceremony. Logan walked away, tears streaming down his face, but before going into the building, he turned in the direction of his parents, and called out to the crowd, "**I'm going to win, I promise…"**

_Mackenzie, District Four-_ Mackenzie was practicing her knife throwing, just in case. She would _not_ allow another twelve year old girl to go into the arena in this District. Not since last year, when her younger sister, Jade went in… She never came out. Mackenzie knows she should have taken her place. But she didn't. Now, Mackenzie was going to do anything to prevent another family for going through the pain she felt. * * * At the reaping, sure enough, a crying little blond girl was being forced up the stage while her parents cried and screamed for her. Mackenzie stepped forward, her voice raised to be heard over the sobs, "I volunteer." Mackenzie has just broken her parent's biggest rule. And there's nothing she can do to take it back. Her short black hair framing her stony face, she marched up the stage. When she was allowed to say goodbye, it was her stroking her mother's hair, squeezing her dad's hand, instead of them comforting her. She murmured into her mom's ears, **"I'm going to win, I promise…"**

_Isaac, District Five-_ Isaac hadn't seen it coming. He had been as naïve as everyone else, thinking he could never get picked. But he was wrong. He did. No volunteers, whatsoever. Now he was waiting in the JusticeBuilding, head in his hands, waiting for his parents and family to come say good-bye. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to think of what to say, and then the door creaked open. He gave an unconvincing smile to his parents, and stood up to hug them. His older brother, Francis, wouldn't meet his eyes. Because he was seventeen, he could have saved Isaac, but had still let his little brother go to what they were sure would be his death.

Isaac walked over to him, giving him a strong hug. He grabbed his head, forced him to make eye contact, and in a whisper said, "I don't blame you." Isaac turned to his mom and dad, just staring at them, trying to freeze their images into his head. His mom's thin coppery hair had streaks of gray in it, and her usually kind hazel eyes were filled with angst; his father's dark hair was thinning, which matched his tired brown eyes. "Mom, Dad, Francis, don't blame yourselves. If I die, you can't spend time mourning me. Move. On." Isaac would have gone on, but his dad shushed him, "You can fight, I know you can because I taught you. Remember? I'm a power plant security guard. Don't count yourself out. We're counting on you to come home, so please try." Isaac nodded, renewed confidence flowing through him, "**I'm going to win, I promise…"** His dad ran his hand through Isaac's brown-red hair, nodded, and then the peacekeepers told them their time was up.

_Autumn, District Five-_ Autumn's hair was as red as the season she was named for. Her wavy crimson hair was loosely tied up in a messy bun, pinned out of her face with sunflower-yellow clips, and she wore a ruffled forest green dress that gathered above her waist. It was a cloudy, breezy day, but it was ruined, because Autumn was standing in the square not for shopping, but to see if she would be picked to fight to her death. The warm air was turned hotter by the mass of bodies gathered around her. Everyone fell silent when the escort, a dark-skinned woman with neon pink hair sticking out in points, took the stage. You could hear her every step in the form of her high heels clicking the stage, and her cheery voice saying, "Today, we will pick two tributes that will have the honor of participating in the Thirteenth Annual Hunger Games! Ladies first!" She flashed a smile to the cameras, and then clicked over to the glass ball containing the girls' names. She cleared her throat, "And the lucky little lady is…. Autumn Freeman!" She looked in the general direction of the sixteen year olds, "Well, come up, dear!" * * * Autumn was being embraced by her parents, trying not to cry. She pulled back, looking up at them, and then down at her little sister, Madelynn. Madelynn looked up at her, confused, "It's just a game, though, isn't it? You'll still be coming home, even if you lose, right?"

"I wish, Maddie. But no, I won't come home if I lose. I'll… have to stay in the Capitol." Autumn said after a moment of thought, not wanting to traumatize her sister. She smiled sadly, "But **I'm going to win, I promise…** Okay, Maddie-Lynn?" Autumn said, poking Maddie in the belly. Maddie giggled, still innocent as a six year old. Autumn's mom knelt in front of Autumn, grasping her by the shoulders, "You are smart and pretty, Autumn. The Capitol tends to like people like you, so no matter how disgusted you get, keep waving and smiling for them. Please. I've been paying attention to the Games, trust me." "I'll try, mom."

_Sean, District Six-_ Sean smoothed his black hair down, trying to control himself before his family came in. It wasn't supposed to be him. He had never taken tesserae; his name was only in there eight times, out of who-knows-how-many slips. But it had to be someone, and Sean preferred it to be him compared to the helpless twelve year olds that hadn't had their growth spurts yet. He felt a pressure building behind his eyes, but forced it back; this became increasingly hard when he heard the squeaky door opening, and a gruff voice saying, "You have three minutes." But it wasn't his family who were pushed through the door; it was his girlfriend, Star. Star tucked her hair behind her ears, a gesture Sean had learned she did when nervous. She had red around her eyes, probably from crying. Part of Sean was mad at her, after all, she wouldn't be hunted in an arena; but the other part hated to see her like that, and wanted to console her. He got up, and pulled her into a tight embrace. After a few seconds, her shoulders started shaking with sobs. Sean murmured condolences in her ear, but after a moment he pulled away and made her look into his eyes, "Star… You have to face the, uh, _looming_ fact that I will most likely die in the next few weeks. No matter how horrible it is, know that I still love you, and I want you to be happy in life… Please, I can only die happily if you promise me that you will _move on._ Okay?" Between hiccups, she said, "Only… if you… promise to-to try…"

"**I'm going to win,** for you,** I promise…**" Sean pulled Star closer, and they kissed until the peacekeeper came in and pulled her away. Sean couldn't be sure, but he was pretty sure she mouthed, "You promise?".

_Makayla, District Six_: Makayla was bawling her eyes out, not out of pity for herself, but for the family that she would never be returning to. Her dark brown hair was stuck to her face with tears, and Makayla, known for her jokes, couldn't think of anything to cheer herself up. Makayla's characters in her many stories always had happy endings, but they were always too good to be true… Her favorite character, Cartoons, had been about to finally go on a date with her childhood crush, in fact, Makayla had been about to start writing out the fluffy scene later that day, but now, it would never be true. Cartoons would be stuck in the friend zone permanently if Makayla died in the games, which was a horrible, but pending, possibility. Makayla had no problem facing her death, it would be a new story for her, but knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if her family would mourn her for years to come. Makayla was still crying when her parents tentatively pushed open the door. "Makayla?" her mom asked, her voice hoarse from crying. "I-I'm so s-sorry, Mom!" Makayla's mother rushed forward, shushing her daughter, "Shh, shh, shh, Makayla, you did nothing wrong. You don't deserve this. You know you don't." Makayla's eleven year old brother came forward, pushing past his mother, "Makayla, don't worry about us. Just try your best." Makayla started to sniffle and wipe her tears away, "But, how will you guys handle it? I can't die knowing you will be sad." This took her brother aback, but he quickly recovered, "Makayla, if that's what you really want, then… then, we won't be sad about it. But, you have to promise to try, okay?" Knowing her family would be able to move on if worse came to worse, Makayla had renewed confidence, "**I'm going to win, I promise…"** Her little brother gave a nod of his head in approval, and with a sad smile they were ushered out of the room, leaving Makayla to ponder her fate…

**Author's Note: I want to send a shout out to Cartoons and Snail! You guys are awesome (that, and you guys are probably the only ones reading this…) so thanks! If, by some miracle, someone else is reading my stories, post a review about yourself and I will try to make you a tribute, or, if it's past that point in the story, introduce a character based on you.**


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